The Time After: Pepca
by Iz Demon
Summary: Pepca and Cory have a lot to live up to considering who their parents are and it's not going to be easy. As a puppy and a foist their lives will be the same but different to their parents. Next gen fic.
1. New Puppies in the Barrel's Bottom

**Ah! New fanfic! This one is a collaboration with my brother warwolf1846. This is from my characters POV while his story is from his characters POV. I hope you enjoy this new story. I worked very hard on it.**

Chapter 1: New Puppies in the Barrel's Bottom

When the first noise you hear in the morning is someone falling down the stairs outside your room, you have to wonder what kind of day it was going to be. I stumbled out of bed to the door to see who fell down the stairs and why. I pulled open the door to see my brother grinning at me from across the hall.

"Oh, hey there Peppy," Corey said with a smile. I grumbled and rolled my eyes in his direction. "I think you should get dressed. You got a big day ahead."

"Like I don't know that," I mumbled, but Corey didn't hear me. He was too busy noticing dad at the bottom of the stairs with his dog, Cearacos. To me, it looked like dad had been tripped by Cearacos as he approached the stairs.

I rolled my eyes again and retreated into my room. I had things to do today and no time to laugh at the usual going on's of the Cooper family. I dressed quickly in a light blue tunic and breeches. I looked decant enough to wander the market, but not too fancy. I braided my blond hair quickly like mom always does. My adorable golden puppies whined at me. They knew that today was important for both me and them. Today was the day that I became a true Puppy and they became a Puppy's four legged partners. They were young but they knew all of my commands. They were hard workers just like me.

"Ready girls?" I asked them. I took a deep breath. "Okay. Aiday, Ceri, _toc_." _Toc_ was my word to tell them to heel. I headed out of my room and down the stairs to the common room.

There were very few people about, but I figured that was because thieves and rushers preferred the night to the day. The current rogue was still here though. Clint Ibbott sat on his "throne" at the main table. My dad, Rosto, gave Clint Ibbott the crown as King of the Rogue after dad married my mom, Beka Cooper. To help Clint, dad also let the court of the rogue gather here at the Dancing Dove. It was always interesting with me and mom living up stairs.

I went to one of the few tables that was set with food already. The cook must have known I was up. She had a habit of that. I ate the food quickly and fed some of it to Aiday and Ceri. I left the Dancing Dove without anyone noticing me. I was good at that. I wandered the city to pass time until I had to report for muster. I fed the pigeons and listened to their voices just like my mother does. She says they always have good information for a Dog. I didn't hear anything of importance today, but that didn't mean anything. I did catch a few glimpses of Corey as I wandered.

An hour before muster I headed back to the Dancing Dove to change clothes and grab my pack. Aiday and Ceri kept close by my side the whole time. I headed out for the muster at five at the Jane Street Kennel. I had hoped I would get assigned to Jane Street for the fact that my mom is desk sergeant of the evening watch. I know I would be picked on for it, but I know I would appreciate it later when I didn't have to walk home alone.

I found my puppymates easily when I walked into the kennel. They all sat on the bench staring at the ground. They weren't sure about being here. Tania looked up at me when I sat next to her. She was the only other girl puppy since the people started frowning at girls that wanted to work outside the home. She was nice and decant with a baton. She bent down to quietly pet Aiday and Ceri. They knew Tania was a friend and that they could relax in the kennel.

As the bell struck five outside, the day watch came in with their new puppies. They looked at us with varying expressions. Some said it was survivable and some looked like they were going to fall over dead. I wanted to laugh. They were over reacting. Day watch was nothing compared to evening watch. After day watch left. Mom started calling evening watch pairs and puppies. Tania was the first to leave. I was the last.

When mom called Ersken Westover and Birch I knew she pulled a few strings to get me a good pair. Ersken was a personal friend of the family's. I stood up and walked to the spot in front of her. Many of the Dogs stared at me. They expected me to be just like my mother. I had a lot to live up to.

"I don't have to give you the spiel, do I Pepca?" she asked me.

"No ma'am," I answered.

"You have to take care of your dogs, too. That's not Ersken and Birch's job. Do you understand?" she asked me.

"Yes ma'am," I answered.

Ersken and Birch walked out of the office and towards me. "You don't have to give her a hard time, Beka. I'll take good care of her," Ersken said as he put his arm around my shoulders. I smiled at him. Aiday and Ceri started to jump up and down to get attention from Ersken. They liked him well enough to act silly around him.

"_Jos, jos_," I said to them. _Jos_ was down. They sat quietly at my feet, tails wagging.

"Let's get going. I don't want to waste the night," Birch said as he headed for the door.

Ersken followed him. I looked at my puppies. "_Toc_, _toc_," I said to them and followed my training Dogs. When we got outside, people whispered. They were surprised I was paired up with Ersken and Birch. Apparently they thought I would be paired up with someone else, though I don't know who. I spotted Corey across the street leaning against a building, watching me. I hoped that he would follow me the whole night just to watch out for me. I could do my job on my own without him.

Birch saw Corey a few seconds after me. Birch was known for not liking Corey because Corey was on the other side of the law. Birch pointed in Corey's direction but looked at me. "What did you bring him for?" He demanded.

"I didn't. I have no control over what my brother does or doesn't do," I answered back.

Birch just rolled his eyes and we set of. The beginning of the night we spent in the night market chasing pickpockets. Luckily my brother wasn't about to my knowledge. I didn't want to have to arrest him for pickpocketing. He was known as one of the biggest foist in the lower city. He's visited mom in the kennels several times for being caught.

When Ersken and Birch started heading to the Cesspool, I got a little worried. Most Dog pairs don't take their puppies into the Cesspool the first night. The Dogs usually don't thing their puppies would survive the first night in the Cesspool. Ersken and Birch must have great expectations for me. We walked around for a while. It was a quiet night in the Cesspool, which was rare. When we reached the Barrel's Bottom, we stopped to get something to drink. I didn't want anything, so I just sat with my Dogs.

I fight started not too soon after and it being the Barrel's Bottom everyone got in on the fight. My dogs put me in a corner to keep me safe, but nowhere was safe in the Barrel's Bottom. I pulled my baton and started whacking river dodgers. My puppies bit ankles. I soon spotted Corey coming in my direction with a huge smile on his face. He loves fights.

"Where did you come from?" I yelled at him. He didn't hear. He just took my baton and started nap tapping river dodgers. I pulled my knives out and started in on the remaining river dodgers. I used the hilt more than the blade. These idiots only needed some bruises not cuts. When it quieted down, I looked for Corey, but all I could find was my baton lying at my feet. He had already left for home, I'm sure.

"Let's go muster out and call it a night," Ersken said as we started the long walk back to the kennel.

"You're a good fighter. You barely have a scratch on you," Birch commented.

I simply nodded. I was too tired to answer. After muster I went straight home and to my bed. I didn't see my brother anywhere, but I figured he was watching me. Isn't that what big brothers do?

**R&R? **

**ID**


	2. Aiday and Ceri's Command words

**These are Aiday and Ceri's command words. I thought it might be helpful to have these up for you.**

Up/rise-creste

Smell-miros

Stand straight-drept

Stop-opri

Let it go-picatura

Go fast-du-te

Quiet-linistit

Sit-sta

Steady/easy-acuma

Guard-paza

Friend-prieten

Come here-veni

Leash-zgarda

Protect-proteja

Go-merge

Eat-manca

Give-da

Seek-cauta

Easy-usor

Slow-incetini

Greet-saluta

No-nu

Stay-sedere

Heel-toc

Wait-astepta

Down-jos

**ID**


End file.
